Former Israeli chief rabbi indicted for fraud

By The Associated Press
| 8:16 a.m.Dec. 24, 2012

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2000 file photo, Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, Israel's former Chief Sephardic Rabbi, speaks at a century old Jewish temple in Singapore. Israeli authorities have indicted a former chief rabbi of the country with fraud and breach of trust. Bakshi-Doron was indicted Monday, Dec. 24, 2012 at a Jerusalem court as part of what has become known as the "rabbis' file" affair. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, File)
— AP

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2000 file photo, Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, Israel's former Chief Sephardic Rabbi, speaks at a century old Jewish temple in Singapore. Israeli authorities have indicted a former chief rabbi of the country with fraud and breach of trust. Bakshi-Doron was indicted Monday, Dec. 24, 2012 at a Jerusalem court as part of what has become known as the "rabbis' file" affair. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, File)
/ AP

JERUSALEM 
Israeli authorities have indicted a former chief rabbi of the country on charges of fraud and breach of trust.

Eliahu Bakshi-Doron was charged Monday as part of what has become known as the "rabbis' file" affair. Bakshi-Doron and others are accused of falsifying rabbinical certificates for more than 1,000 soldiers and police officers so they could be eligible for salary increases.

The indictment says that as a result, hundreds of millions of shekels were fraudulently awarded from the state without any justification.

The 71-year-old Bakshi-Doron served as one of Israel's two chief rabbis between 1998-2003.

The chief rabbinate oversees many elements of Jewish religious life in Israel.

The religious equality group Hiddush called the indictment "further proof that the institution of the chief rabbinate is unnecessary."